Ashton promises expansive England, but don't ask when

LONDON: Brian Ashton has promised a new, more attacking England in the Six Nations but said that he would not be rushed into blooding new players.

The England coach said on Wednesday that he had played the pragmatic style he needed to play in the team's run to the World Cup final last October, but recognized that there would have to be progress if it was not to be left behind.

"We want to move on but I'm not going to put any timeframe on how quickly we do it," Ashton said at the launch of the Six Nations championship on Wednesday.

"I have challenged the players and I have challenged the coaching staff, and that includes myself, to get some add-on value from where we were in the World Cup but if that doesn't happen in the first game and we win, I'll still be happy."

England begins its campaign at Twickenham on Feb 2 against Wales, which has not won there for 20 years, as it seeks to improve on two third and two fourth-place finishes since it won the World Cup in 2003.

"We need a good start against Wales where we will be looking for some continuity from the World Cup," Ashton said.

"We do want to move our game forward and if that means in the short term that we bring in one or two younger players then we will do that but if it means not doing it until three or four games down the line then that's the route we'll go down.

"One thing I did learn in the World Cup is that at international level there is no substitute for experience when the going gets tough."

Lost experience

England has lost the vast experience of Lawrence Dallaglio, Jason Robinson, Mike Catt and Martin Corry, all former captains, handing extra responsibility to current skipper Phil Vickery.

"We are fully aware our record has not been good but nobody in the England squad is prepared to accept mediocrity and we have a lot to prove," the prop said of England's poor displays in a tournament it won three years out of four going into the 2003 World Cup.

"We are under no illusions about how tough it is going to be this season, physically as well as mentally after what all the teams have been through in the World Cup.

"But there is a lot of excitement in the camp and we are all looking forward to getting out there again, especially in the first game at Twickenham."

England's new deal with the clubs does not come into play until later this year so its players will be involved in club matches this weekend.

Ashton, however, said he did not necessarily think it would be a disadvantage. "There is an argument to say that having a tough game before an international is not a bad thing," he said.

"For some players, having a week off is maybe not the best preparation, so as long as we don't get any more injuries, I'm not too concerned."

Scrumhalf Peter Richards will miss the entire championship after undergoing surgery on a bicep tear, opening the door for Richard Wrigglesworth to challenge Andy Gomarsall for the number nine shirt.

Winger Paul Sackey, who rose to prominence during the World Cup, is recovering from mumps while lock Simon Shaw injured ankle ligaments playing for Wasps at Munster on Saturday and remains doubtful for the Wales match.

Agencies

(China Daily 01/25/2008 page24)